Reuniting with a colleague reminded me why I love being a doctor

Physician
April 21, 2025

Imagine walking through the hospital and seeing a colleague you haven’t worked with in years. The moment your eyes meet, a giant smile spreads across both of your faces—pure, genuine joy.

There’s an instant connection, an unspoken recognition of the experiences you shared. You remember the ease of collaboration, the unshakable trust in each other’s expertise. Teamwork at its best—fluid, energizing, and effective.

But over time, things shift. People move on in …

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Pope Francis dies at 88. What his care reveals about America’s failing hospitals.

Conditions
April 21, 2025

Pope Francis passed away this morning at the age of 88. Just weeks ago, he had spent 38 days hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for what was described as “double pneumonia,” before returning to his Vatican apartment to recover.

Had he been an American hospitalized in the U.S., he might not have made it even that far.

As both a geriatric doctor and a patient, I have seen firsthand how the U.S. …

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The surprising reason doctors might turn to unions

Physician
April 21, 2025

A few months ago, the longshoremen’s union shut down 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts. This strike of dockworkers was costing the American economy up to $5 billion per day. The strike lasted 3 days, and there was an agreement to suspend the strike and continue negotiations in early 2025.

One of the issues pertained to restricting the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to load and unload …

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Healers or criminals: the alarming trend of physician prosecution [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 20, 2025
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Practicing internist and psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article “Criminalizing care: How the system turned on physicians.” He argues that physicians, historically pillars of trust, are increasingly being targeted and criminalized …

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Teaching by humiliation is still crushing future doctors

Physician
April 20, 2025

Shouting at student physicians is still a thing.

Justified as “teaching by humiliation.”
It is the worst form of “teaching” I have ever encountered.

Being asked questions aggressively,
Being ridiculed if you get the answer wrong,
Being shouted at, scolded.
All in front of other students, colleagues, and patients.

It’s embarrassing, undermining, and it crushes confidence.
It silences your voice.
Makes you question yourself.
Makes you want to cry.

It’s disempowering.

Almost 20 years later, I still remember it.
Six of us, wearing …

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A philosophical shift: the doctor’s journey into the role of patient

Physician
April 20, 2025

Recently, I found myself in need of surgery, a situation I had not faced in many years. The vulnerability I experienced as a patient was more intense than I ever anticipated. Despite my role as a doctor who often considers patients’ emotional well-being, I felt this. This experience brought me face-to-face with the emotional challenges that patients face in a new way. This perspective is crucial for all health care …

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What happened to real care in health care?

Policy
April 20, 2025

Every time I turn on the television, there’s another commercial for a new drug treating a condition I’ve never even heard of.

It’s constant. And honestly, it’s exhausting.

I can’t help but wonder: What happened to real care?

I remember a time, 35, maybe 40 years ago, when doctors knew your name. They looked you in the eye. They read your chart. They listened to what you had to say before deciding. They …

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When saving lives leads to losing your own

Physician
April 20, 2025

I didn’t know them well.

They were primary care doctors on the hospital staff where I served on the Medical Executive Committee. They provided care to the most vulnerable members of our community, both in the hospital and their offices. I feel guilty for not recognizing that each of them was personally suffering, as they took their own lives.

Losing lives of those saving lives is heartbreaking.

Doctors heal people. While most professions …

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A surgeon’s startling ketamine experience [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 19, 2025
YouTube video

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General surgeon Arthur Williams discusses his article “A surgeon’s battle with ketamine-induced hallucinations.” He shares an account from his novel of an experience needing a pacemaker for a “janky heart” prone to …

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How doctors can thrive despite declining reimbursements

Physician
April 19, 2025

In the previous article, I offered four ways (other than growth) a practice can compensate for declining reimbursements: improve efficiency, boost collection ratio, increase productivity, and consider a practice merger. As promised, here are four more.

Stay focused.

Focused strategies lead to better outcomes and lower costs. It is no accident that the best outcomes and lowest price for open-heart surgery are achieved …

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How DrKoop.com rose and fell: the untold story behind the Surgeon General’s startup

Social media
April 19, 2025

An excerpt from Dr. Koop: The Many Lives of the Surgeon General.

“I’ve had two major messages that I’ve tried to get out to the public all my professional life,” Koop proclaimed. “One is to take charge of your own health. The other is that there is no prescription I can give you that is more valuable than knowledge … I’ve tried the non-profit world, …

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Why prescribing medicine to kids scares even experienced doctors

Meds
April 19, 2025

I absolutely hate prescribing medication to children.

I am quite worried when someone asks for my opinion on a sick child. I have some experience treating children during my internship and residency, yet I am pretty uncomfortable.

However, living in a lower middle-income country, where the average man already lives a difficult life due to high health care costs and limited income, health expenditure significantly impacts monthly finances. That is why people …

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When empathy becomes “toxic”

Physician
April 19, 2025

For years, empathy has been seen as a moral virtue that binds relationships, the antidote to pain and suffering while caring for patients. But lately, empathy is facing a surprising backlash in society and the medical profession. From being called “toxic” to being labeled outright as a “sin,” the virtue of feeling others’ pain is now under sharper scrutiny across ideological, psychological, and even religious groups within our society.

In caregiving …

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Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 18, 2025
YouTube video

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Internal medicine and infectious disease physician and author Joshua D. Hartzell discusses his article “Leading with care: How health care leadership can transform patient and provider well-being.” He addresses the crisis of …

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Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change

Physician
April 18, 2025

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve typed out a broken heart emoji in response to yet another tragedy, I’d probably be able to take a break from work for a while. But here I am—because I love what I do despite it all.

There are many days my heart breaks.

Not in the cliché, romance-gone-wrong kind of way. It’s deeper than that. It’s …

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When modesty kills: the CPR gender gap you didn’t know existed

Conditions
April 18, 2025

A chilling incident from a past summer camp at Achimota School still resonates: A young woman collapsed with her life hanging in the balance. The male Red Cross prefect, attempting to administer potentially life-saving CPR, was quickly stopped by concerned students. The bystanders’ focus was on protecting her from exposure, and it overshadowed the urgency of the situation. This experience, now viewed through the lens of my medical training, reveals …

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Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story

Physician
April 18, 2025

She was pale, underweight, fifty years old and scared. Mrs. G was a breast cancer patient on the oncology unit whom I met by chance, as she appeared on my patient census list that morning. As I walked into her room, I noticed the fragrant flowers, the cards scattered about her hospital tray, and the numerous pictures of her friends and family that attempted to bring her peace and comfort. …

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Why the FDA’s outdated prescription rules hinder access to birth control and naloxone [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 17, 2025
YouTube video

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Surgeon and author Jeffrey A. Singer discusses his article “The FDA’s outdated prescription rules are failing women and opioid users.” He argues that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirement for prescriptions …

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Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster

Tech
April 17, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs) and the systems based on this technology have recently emerged onto the medical scene with huge promises to “disrupt” and innovate upon traditional clinical practice. Ignoring the hype and boom-bust adoption cycles associated with most novel technology, AI will eventually settle into the daily workflow of many physicians, be it through direct use, or indirectly, through integration within EMRs, insurance approval pipelines, or …

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